Gordon Lightfoot (Official Thread)

[Craig in Indy]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

Here's what I put on "Craig's Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 1." The song order is roughly chronological, and not anything to do with preferences. I have a thing for tracking artistic growth and development as I listen.

1- Did She Mention My Name?
2- The Way I Feel
3- Canadian Railroad Trilogy
4- Sit Down Young Stranger
5- If You Could Read My Mind
6- The Pony Man
7- 10 Degrees and Getting Colder
8- Miguel
9- Go My Way
10- Cotton Jenny
11- Redwood Hill
12- Don Quixote
13- Christian Island (Georgian Bay)
14- Alberta Bound
15- Ode to Big Blue
16- Second Cup of Coffee
17- Old Dan's Records
18- Mother of a Miner's Child
19- Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
20- Summertime Dream

So many of those are just classic, classic songs. I really need to do another one - there are so many that were left off for lack of space on the disc. "Bells of the Evening," for example.

 

[LG]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

^^I think I have all of those Craig...I'd have to look to make sure though. I do the same thing, try and work from the beginning to the end, just adds order and makes following the growth/changes of the artist more interesting.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I really like what I've heard from him!

My favorites are

If You Could Read My Mind


I really have to say, and I hope this isn't derailing because it's not meant as an insult to Gordon. I really LOVE the Johnny Cash version and think it has the same effect as Hurt where it felt like he claimed the song! All that means is the song itself was great regardless of preference!

Johnny Cash-If You Could Read My Mind
(chilling version of this song giving character by Cash's vocal flaws)


So to make up for this comparison I'll post another awesome Lightfoot song that hasn't been touched!

Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald

 

[LG]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I consider Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald one of the best songs ever written.

I don't mind Johnny's cover of Gord's song, I like the original better though.

Bob Dylan was a big fan of Lightfoot's, one of the people he respected a lot and so many people have covered Gord's material over the years it's like a who's who at the Grammy's.

 

[Craig in Indy]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I just took another look at my Lightfoot playlist and found enough personal favorites among them to fill two more "Best of" CDs.

 

[Magic]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I was always kind of proud that I had a copy of Sit Down Young Stranger on LP before it was renamed If You Could Read My Mind.

I hope you keep that LP, it is definitely a rare LP.

 

[Craig in Indy]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I decided there are just too many pops and ticks in my LP version of Old Dan's Records to live with, so I went to Amazon to buy the CD. It's out of print! I did find a third-party merchant through Amazon that still had some new ones to sell, so I ordered one from them.

I've always maintained that ODR is a seriously underrated album, and I suppose this bears that out. A shame, really - it has some great, great material on it.

 

[tomcat]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot has some masterpieces. Edmond Fitzgerald is most certainly a masterpiece. I like the guitar solo in it, very appropriate (haunting, like the song).

And what a set of pipes that guy has! Man I'd love to be able to sing like that.... Killer acoustic guitarist too.

 

[silverstar]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

If you could read my mind.... wow wot a classic song ?
haunting melody and brilliant lyrics... well done Gordon !
I always thought it was from the 60s but I was wrong...
its from the early 70s !

 

[METALPRIEST]

Re: Gordon Lightfoot

I consider Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald one of the best songs ever written.

I don't mind Johnny's cover of Gord's song, I like the original better though.

Bob Dylan was a big fan of Lightfoot's, one of the people he respected a lot and so many people have covered Gord's material over the years it's like a who's who at the Grammy's.

I'm gonna have to agree LG!